Bikes are prone to accidents when there are unforeseen and abrupt changes on the surfaces of the road. These dangerous road conditions can make even the most cautious and experienced cyclist to lose control, fall, or swerve to another motorists’ path. When the cause of a bicycle accident is brought about by a road hazard, the party that could be held accountable is the city, state, county, or other government agency charged with maintaining the road. There are different types of road hazards that cyclists can encounter, and the government agency’s liability will depend on the cause of the accident and the actions (or inactions) they have done to prevent or fix the problem.

Three general causes of bicycle accident involve sewer grate, potholes, and railroad and trolley tracks. Sewer grate that go in the same direction as the traffic does can trap tires between them. Just as with any motorist or citizen, a cyclist has right to a safe road, and there are easy and economical ways to fix the problem. Potholes, on the other hand, can be due to two reasons: inferior temporary fixes and long-term road wear-and-tear. Poor road maintenance that resulted to cracks or sinking road that were either not given proper warning signs or was not properly fixed after a significant amount of time can make the liable for injuries that resulted from the accident. As for railroad or trolley tracks, they should be properly labeled to warn cyclists of their danger, or if they are not used, the government should have them removed or covered to prevent accidents.

Proving liability is what is important in winning a personal injury claim, especially when the party at fault is a government agency. Visit the website to learn more about these kinds of claims.